Queen Elizabeth II and dignitaries from around the world attended the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in London. Thatcher, 87, died last week.
Her casket was carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage through the center of London, as people crowded the sidewalks to pay their respects.
It was escorted by military units, and all along the route security was even tighter than originally planned because of Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings.
There were some protests, but there were no serious incidents.
Inside St. Paul’s Cathedral, the casket lay in front of more than 2,000 mourners. The current Prime Minister David Cameron was there, as were leaders and former leaders from around the world. But there was no official from Argentina, which Thatcher defeated in the 1982 Falkland Islands War.
It was a prayer service, with no formal eulogy. But the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, gave a brief address, saying, "After the storm of a life lived in the heat of political controversy, there is a great calm. ... Lying here, she is one of us, subject to the common destiny of all human beings.”
Margaret Thatcher was Britain’s only female prime minister, and the longest serving of the 20th Century, holding the office for 11 years. Her passionately conservative policies transformed the country, and ignited strong emotions both in favor and opposed, feelings that have been on display again during the past week, even though she left office 23 years ago.
And that, in the end, is testament to the impact of her life.
(Photo by Minoritenplatz8/Martin451)
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